Mama of the Month

Postpartum;

– You’re tired –
Baby wakes up every couple hours, needs to be fed and changed. They might sleep during the day more than night, which switches your schedule around. They might cry for hours and you don’t know what to do to help them. Every baby is different which brings different challenges to each situation. It’s tiring.

– You’re emotional –
You cry at everything and anything. Happy tears, sad tears, “I don’t know why the f*** I’m crying” tears. You can’t control simple emotions. It’s confusing.

– You’re physically hurting + healing –
You just gave birth to a baby. Whether it was vaginally or cesarean. Your body, that created a human, gave birth to a freaking human. That hurts and everyone heals differently. Some quicker than others, some have horrible labors and pregnancy and other have easy. Some are able to heal quicker and get back to “normal” life and others it take time. We all physically have to heal. It’s hard.

– Your boobs hurt –
Breastfeeding is a full time job. Between feeds and pumping its draining, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. If you weren’t able to or didn’t choose to breastfeed, your boobs take adjusting and pain as well. It all takes its toll on our bodies.

– Your body is different than it was before –
You put on weight that you necessarily didn’t have before. Your body feels different, your tummy is squishy and uncomfortable. You’re out of maternity clothes, but not back into your normal clothes. You’re in between of who you were and who you are now. It takes adjusting and understanding that it’s temporary and it’s weird.

– It’s not just you anymore –
You are responsible to care for a mini person. Something you might have experience with and something you might be completely clueless at. You may be flying at the seat of your pants, but you figure it out. Whether you have help or you’re doing it alone, it’s all something you’re learning. It’s new.

– Talk about it –
It’s not always sunshine and rainbows. It can be dark and cloudy. Talk about it. Find your person you can talk to about it. Be able to express your feelings, happy or sad, mad or indifferent. Feel your feels!

⭐️ I hope that every mama out there reading this understands that’s it okay to not be okay. It’s okay to love being a mom some days and not other days. It’s okay to be sad and it’s okay to not always know what you’re doing. I promise, you’ll figure it out and I hope you are able to have the love and support you need to feel better. Or just the comfort knowing you are doing a great job!

You’re strong and you are amazing mamas! Keep on keeping on!

Hugs and all the positive vibes to you from me, a new mom just trying to keep it together.

– Ashley